1. education
2. school

1 The Susick Spotlight
February 2015
Susick Elementary School
Mr. Pat Cavanaugh, Principal
Ms. Kim Teschke, Secretary
Mrs. Amy Kovacs, Clerk
Phone 586/825-2665
Fax 586/698-4376
www.wcskids.net
Absence Reporting Line:
586/825-2665 ext. 2
Susick Mission Statement: The Susick Community is dedicated to providing a quality education by
ensuring all students are safe, responsible, respectful, and demonstrate their personal best.
Susick Vision Statement: All Susick students will show continuous academic and
social growth through the collaborative efforts of the Susick staff and community.
FEBRUARY
2015
2/2 – 2/6 Time 4 Kids Magazine week
2/3
4th Grade Field Trip
2/9
PTO Meeting in Media Center – 6:30 p.m.
2/10 ELL Parent Meeting – 9:30 a.m.
3rd Grade Field Trip
2/10 2015-2016 Kindergarten Parent Informational Meeting
(at P.A.C. of Sterling Heights High School) – 6:00 p.m.
2/10-2/12 Hearing Screening
2/11 COUNT DAY (Be sure to be at school!)
2/13 1/2 Day of School – 12:03 p.m. dismissal
Records Day – end of Trimester 2
2/16-2/20
WINTER BREAK – NO SCHOOL
2/23 School Resumes – Trimester 3 begins
2/27 Spirit Day – Red, White & Blue Day
Grissom Counselors visit 5th Grade – 1:00 p.m.
2 The Susick Spotlight
February 2015
PRINCIPAL’S NOTES
As we approached the half-way point of the school year, I would like to provide you a reminder of our School
Improvement goals for this year. Below are each of the goals in Reading, Writing, and Math and a few of the
strategies and activities being utilized to accomplish the goals:
Goal #1 Reading: All students at Susick Elementary will show growth in reading.
Strategies:
1. Balanced literacy: Teachers will implement a balanced literacy approach five days a
week. This includes guided reading, Daily 5, and whole group literacy instruction in
order to increase student comprehension of text.
2. Supplemental reading intervention: Assigned staff will provide supplemental reading
intervention for at-risk students.
Activities:
1. Grade level meetings
2. Guided reading with each group at least three times a week
3. Professional development: strategies for use with struggling readers
Goal #2 Math: All students at Susick Elementary will show growth in math.
Strategies:
1. Balanced math: Teachers will implement a balanced math approach, which includes
whole group, small group and flexible grouping, five days a week to improve
mathematical practices.
2. Additional support: Assigned staff will provide small group pull-out support in math
with progress monitoring 1-2 times a week.
Activities:
1. Professional Development: Math Workshop/Guided Math
2. IXL (online math program)
3. Math journals
Goal #3 Writing: All students at Susick Elementary will show growth in writing.
Strategies:
1. Writing in the content areas: Teachers will implement writing in the content areas of
math, science, and social studies on a daily basis.
2. Academic vocabulary: Each grade level will focus on key academic vocabulary
determined by the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels at least three times a week.
Activities:
1. Writing notebooks to support writing in the content areas (math journals,
science journals, etc.)
2. Writer’s workshop
3 The Susick Spotlight
February 2015
COLD WEATHER ALERT
FUTURE KINDERGARTEN
REGISTRATION MEETING
For any parents of future Kindergartners, there will
be a 2015-2016 Kindergarten Registration Meeting
on Tuesday, February 10th at 6pm. The meeting
will be held at WCS’s Performing Arts Center
(located in Sterling Heights at 12901 Fifteen Mile
Road, attached to Sterling Heights High School).
This meeting will provide enrollment and
registration information for parents of children who
will begin Kindergarten this upcoming fall. In
addition, parents will receive information on:
* All Day and Half-Day Kindergarten options;
* Year-Round and Traditional School Calendar;
* Kindergarten curriculum;
* Health requirements to attend Kindergarten;
* Breakfast and lunch options;
* Transportation; and
* Before- and after-school Latchkey services
Please plan your child’s arrival time to school as
close to the entrance time as possible without being
late. Students enter the building at 8:47 A.M. On
inclement weather days (rain or wind chills below
15°), students will be allowed into the building at
8:42 A.M. at their normal entrance doors.
With cold weather here, students should dress
warmly wearing hats, mittens, boots, snowpants,
etc. All children are expected to go outside on days
that weather permits. This is especially true for
lunch recess. The decision for going outside at
lunch recess is made after 11:00 A.M. each day.
Factors determining outdoor recess in Michigan are
winds, temperature and wind-chill index. In many
cases, it is much colder when children arrive at
school than what it might be at lunch recess. To be
on the safe side, parents should dress students in the
morning for outdoor recess. Students who are not
wearing snowpants will be required to play on the
backtop only during outdoor recess.
FOR YOUR CHILD’S SAFETY:
If your child will be absent from school, be sure
to call this phone number and report the
absence:
SUSICK
ABSENCE LINE:
586-825-2665
option 2
Excessive absences and tardies which interfere with
the student’s education will be investigated by
school district personnel.
PLEASE LISTEN TO AM RADIO STATIONS
WJR 760 OR WWJ 950, WATCH TV
CHANNELS 2, 4 OR 7, OR CHECK THE
INTERNET AT www.wcskids.net FOR THE
SCHOOL CLOSING LISTED AS:
MACOMB COUNTY SCHOOL CLOSINGS WARREN CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS.
Please DO NOT call the school.
4 The Susick Spotlight
During our JUMP ROPE FOR HEART event the
students at Susick raised $2,151.06 for the
American Heart Association. On behalf of the
American Heart Association and Mr. Strecansky,
thank you very much for your donation. Families
and schools are critical links in providing the
foundation for cardiovascular wellness in our
country. By holding this event, we raise awareness
about heart-healthy living and help fund more
lifesaving scientific research and critically needed
education efforts. So again THANK YOU for
being a part of this wonderful event.
February 2015
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Mrs. Saieg’s 2nd Grade Class
If I could meet anyone…
Muhammad – I would like to meet Thomas Edison
because he made different machines and he
made the first good lightbulb that people could
use.
RECOGNIZING SUSICK SERVICE SQUAD &
SAFETY PATROL MEMBERS!
Stephanie - I would like to meet my Grandpa.
Congratulations to the following students:
Christopher – I would like to meet my favorite
You Tuber Venturian. I have never met him.
February Safeties of the Month
Angelo DiGirolamo
Miguel Yousif
Daniella Babosha
February Service Squad of the Month
Ardit Thaqi
Luke Younan
A'mya McCleney
Abigail Les
George Esho
Evana Gjelaj
Emma Peterlin
Good job girls and boys and thank you!
Leia – I want to meet Elsa from Frozen because
I think she is nice and kind.
Alexis B. – If I could meet Olaf, I would show
him how nice I am and he is nice.
Kenny – I would want to meet Shakira because I
like her songs.
Alexis D. – I would like to meet my Great, Great
Grandma.
Elliot – I would like to meet Gustav Nyquist. I
would like to say, “You’re doing good in hockey.”
Carter – I would like to meet Jimmy Buffett so I
just meet him.
Melak – I would like to meet Selena Gomez
because I want to talk with her. I want to talk
with her because I want to know why everybody
likes her.
5 The Susick Spotlight
Gabriella – I would like to meet Elsa because she
has magic powers.
Valentina – I would like to meet Selena Gomez
because I want to be a singer like her.
Brayden – I would like to meet Roman Reigns. He
wrestles good.
Yasmeen – I would like to meet President Obama
because he has two kids.
Angelica – I would like to see Olaf because he is
funny.
Mirela – I would like to meet Demi Lovato
because she sings good.
February 2015
Mrs. Marshall’s 2nd Grade Class
If I could meet anyone…
I would meet Ross Lynch because he plays good
music.
Josef A.
I would meet Slonga because I like her song in the
Mulan movie.
Ava B.
I would meet Taylor Swift because she is my
favorite singer.
Crie C.
Michael – I would like to meet Chinese dancers.
I would meet Tom Brady because he works very
hard and he is a good player in the NFL.
Cristian G.
Gjergji – I would like to meet my Granddad. I
never met him before and I would like to stay
awhile with him in Albania.
I would meet Emma from Jessie because she is
funny.
Danielle G.
Elizabeth – I would like to meet my mom’s mom
because she was nice. She came over every day
to see my sister and I never met her.
I would meet Berisha, a soccer player in Albania
because I want to get an autograph on my soccer
ball.
Ergi G.
Nikolas - I would like to meet my Grandpa. My
Grandpa died before I was born and I wanted to
meet him.
I would meet a clown because I want to be one.
Marribella H.
Delilah – I would like to meet Michael Jackson.
He is a singer.
I would meet Messie because he is good at soccer.
Mahdi H.
Zeqir – I would like to meet President Obama
because he is the President of the U.S.A.
I would meet a ballerina because I like to turn and
dance and be a ballerina.
Christina J.
Marissa – I would like to meet my Grandma. I
would ask her to tell me stories of my Mom,
Uncle and my Grandma. And one more thing, what
house did she live in?
I would meet my mom’s cousin Nathen so I can
thank him for serving our country.
Lauren L.
I would meet President Abraham Lincoln because it
would be a great honor.
Michael L.
I would meet the wrestler ‘The Rock’ because he
doesn’t fight anymore.
Dylan M.
6 The Susick Spotlight
I would meet Selena Gomez because she is a good
singer to me and nice and she makes me dance
when I put on my headphones.
Maradona M.
I would meet Calvin Johnson because he is a good
football player.
Ethan M.
I would meet Ariana Grande because I like her song.
Skyelar M.
I would meet Dan from YouTube because he plays
a lot of games and has a lot of likes.
Pierce M.
I would meet an angel because they are amazing
and they are Christian like I am and I have dreamt
of it forever.
Natalie M.
February 2015
Mr. Ohryn’s 2nd Grade Class
If I could meet anyone…
I would like to meet Calvin Johnson because he is a
famous NFL player. (Alan)
I would like to meet Ariana Grande because I love
the song she sings. (Regina)
I want to meet Jeff Brown because he writes the
Flat Stanley books. (John)
I would meet Meghan Trainor because I like the
song All About the Bass. (Steven)
I would like to meet the creator of Pokemon
because I’d like to ask him what are the new
Pokemon for Generation 7. (Donovan)
I would meet George Washington because I want to
ask him a question.
Kim An N.
I would like to meet Ellen Miles because I would
like to ask her if she likes puppies. (Serena)
I would meet the president because they help others.
Punith P.
I would like to meet my grandpa because he moved
to Chicago and I miss him. (Charbell)
I would meet Taylor Swift because she is my
favorite singer.
Gabrila P.
I would like to meet a fireman because I want to see
him put out a fire and save people. (Famario)
I would meet the president of the United States.
Sebastian S.
I would meet Ariana Grande because her songs are
really good.
Leanna S.
I would meet Dwayne Johnson because I like his
movies.
Antonio S.
I would meet Jessie from the show “Jessie” because
I want to see how she memorizes scripts and does
all the things she does on her show.
Natalie T.
I would meet Renando because he plays good
soccer.
Roni T.
I would meet Sulman Khan because he is a famous
singer. (Sulman)
I would like to meet Cristiano Ronaldo because he
plays soccer and he is very good! (Cristian)
I would meet Ariana Grande because she sings the
song I Want to Break Free. (Frank)
I would meet Cristiano Ronaldo because he is very
good at soccer. (Roodi)
I would meet Jordy Nelson because he was on my
fantasy team and plays for the Green Bay Packers.
(Jonathan)
I would meet my great great grandpa because he
lived before I was born. (Akhilan)
7 The Susick Spotlight
If I could meet anyone it would be John Cena so I
can ask him if he can’t see me. (Trent)
February 2015
I would like to meet Idina Madina because she
seems really cool on tv. (Lauren)
To continue the fun, students will celebrate
Valentine's Day! Students will have the
opportunity to pass out cards to their friend, as
well as have a party or Valentine snack!
I would meet my great grandmother because I don’t
know anything about her and I never met her.
(Jamie)
February is also Dental Health Month so
students will learn the importance of taking
care of their teeth and gums.
I would like to meet Franklin Rosevelt because he
was president during World War II. (Ura)
We have been learning how to measure
objects, begin addition, and add more words to
our sight vocabulary.
We have been
introduced to Kindergarten in Motion, where
students explore pushes and pulls with many
hands on experiments and activities. Our new
unit in Social Studies focuses on our Earth. We
are really getting comfortable and confident
with reading little books and creating stories of
our own!
I would like to meet Katie Perry because she sings
good songs. (Gianah)
I would meet Selena Gomez because she is the
coolest singer. (Tiffany)
I would meet Meghan Trainor because I like her
songs. (Hailey)
I would meet Daisy Meadows because she is the
author of my favorite book. (Ava)
I would meet Dove Cameron because she is my
favorite actor and singer. (Kathleen)
I would meet Jennifer Lawrence because I really
like her movies. (Ana)
I would meet Austin Moon because he is a great
dancer. (Maya)
KINDERGARTEN
February is going to be a fabulous month for
our Kindergartners! Students will have the
opportunity to celebrate the 100th day of
school! Students will wear crowns, showoff
their Hundred’s Day t-shirts they will make,
enjoy special activities, and share a 100’s day
trail mix!
FIRST GRADE
First grade has been busy bringing in the new
year! We have finished our math units in
addition and subtraction and are moving onto
geometry. Please continue practicing their
math facts at home, these are important
foundations to build upon in their future math
skills. We continue to read everyday in class!
We read in groups, individually, with partners
and with our older book buddies. The children
are working hard and we are excited to see
their growth. At this point, the children should
be reading at a level 8 or above. Make sure
that you are reading every night. This will help
your child with their reading goals. They
should be able to read by themselves as well as
out loud to you or a sibling. Remember to ask
them to retell the story to you and ask them
comprehension questions. We are looking
forward to watching them grow, they all have
so much to offer our classrooms!
8 The Susick Spotlight
February 2015
Just a reminder that we do go out for recess,
weather permitting. Please make sure that you
send your child with appropriate winter gear.
This should include a hat, gloves, a scarf,
winter snow boots and snow pants.
In Science, we have had fun conducting
experiments on measuring matter. Children have
been using a hands-on approach to create
mixtures, find the mass of objects, and learn how
to use different measuring tools.
Thank you for your continued support!
We are busy learning about Our Country Today in
Social Studies. We will be learning about the local,
state and federal government and their functions.
The First Grade Teachers
THIRD GRADE
SECOND GRADE
After a long, restful break, students are settling
back in their routine. We are working hard to have
a successful start to 2015.
In Math, we have learned to add two-digit numbers
with regrouping. We will continue to work on
subtracting two-digit numbers with regrouping.
We really need to know our math facts for speed
and accuracy when solving problems.
In Reading, we are continuing to work on fluency
and comprehension. We have also reviewed
connections and introduced inferences. When
your child is reading at home, it is a good idea to
have a conversation about the connections that
could be made from the story. An example of
making a connection is when your child connects
the story to his/her own personal experiences,
previous books that have been read, or makes a
connection to the world around him/her.
We would like to extend a big thank you to
everyone who was able to donate to the Gleaner’s
Food Bank food drive in honor of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Collectively, the third grade students
collected the greatest amount of food items in
school. The third grade students also had the
opportunity to take a field trip to Gleaner’s to help
sort the food for shelters and those in need. The
students learned about the mission of Gleaner’s and
how their action of gathering and sorting foods is a
great help to the community surrounding them.
Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Whiting’s classes also made a
trip to our local senior residences – Cherrywood and
Oakmont. The students sang songs and read some
of their writing pieces they have been working on in
class. It was a great showing of community by our
third grade students.
We will also be making a trip to the Detroit
Historical Museum in mid-February. We will be
learning all about Detroit and its beginnings. This
field trip will help to bring our social studies
curriculum to life!
FOURTH GRADE
In Math, your child is learning to divide with and
without remainders. An important part of this is
understanding how to share items equally. Dividing
30 by 4 is the same as breaking 30 into 4 equal
groups of 7 with two left over. To build division
number sense, students use patterns to divide
mentally and estimate quotients.
Students
understand the concept of a remainder when
9 The Susick Spotlight
February 2015
encountered in physical situations such as seating a
group at several tables, forming teams from a larger
group, etc. After separating an amount into equal
groups, the amount that is left over is the
remainder. Provide opportunities for your child to
describe such situations verbally and to record them
mathematically.
The students have learned about the changes in the
Michigan Territory and how it continued to grow
because of the settler’s hard work. They read a
short biography about Henry Schoolcraft and
discovered how he joined an expedition of
northwest Michigan. We then read, discussed and
studied the changes in transportation over time.
The students worked in pairs to create
transportation posters comparing old and new
transportation along with advantages and
disadvantages of each type of transportation. We
also observed Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday by
reading a book about him and creating a timeline of
his life.
The fourth grade students have been working on
identifying the elements of compare and contrast in
a piece of writing. They have been doing this
through text dependent questions. They have
analyzed characters to build comprehension and
make text to text connections. The children have
been building on their vocabulary by practicing
synonyms and word origins. The students continue
to evaluate the author’s purpose to build
comprehension. We are also studying the traits of
biographies as we continue to read and discuss them
in various subject areas.
In Science, we are continuing to learn about
electricity and magnetism. The students have been
working on identifying conductors and insulators
with the use of the circuits they created. We have
been working on writing conclusions after we
conduct the experiment to see what we have
learned. The fourth graders are also learning about
magnetism. They will be conducting many
investigations with magnets. They love to
investigate!
FIFTH GRADE
In Reading, the students have been working on the
Benchmark Literacy program focusing on text to
text, text to world and text to self connections.
Students
receive
weekly
comprehension
assessments to monitor their understanding of text.
We are also working with small groups of students
on comprehension strategies and higher level
thinking skills using leveled readers.
In Writing, students are learning the literary
elements of informative texts and fairy tales. They
are in the process of creating their own fairy tale
and applying the literacy elements within their own
story.
In Mathematics, the students have been working on
multiplying and dividing decimals. We will be
moving on to lessons involving ‘Shapes.’ These
lessons will include problem solving using
polygons, triangles and quadrilaterals.
In Science, the students are working on forces and
motion. Activities revolve around the understanding
of Newton’s Laws and simple machines. The
students tested the speed of a marble and toy
jumping frogs using a variety of obstacles. They
created a chart and recorded their data in their
journals.
In Social Studies, the students are learning about the
formation of the 13 colonies and the occupations the
colonists brought from England. We are also
learning as to why the Europeans came to America.
This will help prepare the students for our spring
Colonial Days project.
10 The Susick Spotlight
February 2015
2015 SCHOOL CALENDAR continues
March 27
PTO Meeting in Media Center – 6:30 p.m.
Daylight Savings time begins – Spring forward–set clocks ahead 1 hour
Half day – Parent Teacher Conferences
Regular Full Day of School
Egg Sales at lunch
ELL Parent Meeting – 9:30 a.m.
2nd Grade Field Trip
Preschool Hearing and Vision Screening during class
Preschool Family Reading Night – 6:00 p.m.
Spirit Day – Favorite Book or History Character Day
April 2
April 3 – 10
Half Day – 12:03 p.m. Dismissal
No School – Spring Break
May 1
May 22
May 25
June 11
Half Day – 12:03 p.m. Dismissal
Half day – 12:03 p.m. Dismissal
No School – Memorial Day Break
Half day – 12:03 p.m. Dismissal
Last Day of School Year
March 9
March 8
March 12
March 13
March 16 – 20
March 17
March 19